This forum is an un-mediated, patient-to-patient forum for questions and support regarding herpes issues such as: Herpes symptoms and treatments, causes, diagnosis, and herpes in men, tests, telling your spouse or partner.

IGm Test

I went to the doctor two days ago and got tested for HSV2 and I took a IGG AND IGM test the IGM came back positive but the IGG came back negative The last last sexual incounter i had was Dec.11,2008 and we used a condom. my question is should I be worried about the result? I have been contacting people talking to them about it please sombody help me out. I make sure i am always protected when i have sex and i just cant belive this is happening to me .

The igm test for herpes isn't a good test and shouldn't have been drawn on you. http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/248394 is a prior post by Dr Handsfield that explains why it shouldn't be done very well for more reading.

You need to wait 4 months after the encounter to get an accurate igg blood test from that encounter. At this point if you really are worried that you contracted genital herpes, should you notice any obvious symptoms within the next 3 months, see your provider immediately and get them cultured. Otherwise repeat the blood test at the 4 month mark if you need the peace of mind.

So is there a chance that I don't have HSV2 because the way my doctor put it to me is that I most defitiely have it just by looking at the IgM test. If the test for IgM came back positive does that mean that I do have one or the other. or could I have nothing at all and what are some of the prevalent syptoms (symptoms) of herpes? also when I went to the doctor they examined me and he told me he saw no lesions or bumps. but I did have a itch in one spot. I dont think I have ever had a outbreak. but I don't know what it would feel like. I m scared to kiss my son because i dont want to infect him. By my IgM coming back positve does that mean that I can infect someone else right now. PLEASE HELP ME FIND ANSWERS!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's like when you spend an evening at a friends house for dinner and the next day they call you to tell you that one of their kids came home from school that day with head lice. You automatically start scratching at your head and checking in the mirror for little critters.

Don't let the igm test worry you this much and get your follow up testing when it's time.

I got my Numbers Back from my Doctor today and he told me my IgM came back at 1.10 and he told me the IGG was negitive but it was no question under the sun that I have HSV2 because he said that is all he tested me for. Do you think I should go to another doctor or should I just let him treat me because he wants to start treatment in a week? What should I do at this point because I am very confused I talked to other people who do HSV testing and they told me that I should not worry but how can you not. They told me to come to them at the 5 week mark and get tested again is that a good idea? HELP ONCE AGAIN!!!!!!

My biggest concern is that when I took the test in December it was 0.97 and then when it took the test again this wek it was 1.10 buy it going up does that mean i have it or does it go up and down in the IgM test. PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

At this point you should just relax and not worry about this unless you get an obvious and painful lesion on your genital area. Repeat your igg when 4 months since the encounter has passed and see what it says then. Your provider is misinformed with the igm herpes tests and shouldn't be treating his patients based on their results.
Common use of inaccurate antibody assays to identify
infection status with herpes simplex virus type 2 by dr's
Rhoda Ashley Morrow, PhD and Zane A. Brown, MD is a journal article your provider should look up and read and pay specific attention to the igm info on page 2.

I have this pain in my vaginal area and it hurts when I sit down and somtimes when i Stand up it my itch every now and then it never burns when i Pee again when i went to the doctor they said they didn't see any lesions it been going on for about a week and a half i even took the time took look down there myself and i didnt really see anything. it hurts but it is not unbarable could this be herpes? I dont understand because i always use condoms I know they are 100% but they are somewhat effective Im just worried that when I go back to get my IGG test Im going to be real dissapointed because my IgM was so high.

Yes they tested me for other std's and they came back fine. I wanted to know is there ever a case where you test positive for the the IgM and still 3 months later test negative for HSV1 & HSV2 please let me know I want some type of hope.

I read where you wrote that it is not easily to get herpes using a condom that everyone thinks. I always use protection I have been with two men within the 7 months and i used protection with both of them, no i did not know their status and one of them was a one time thing and of course i used protection. I also read where you said that a one time encounter is very unlikely to contract HSV. But my question is what is the likely hood of me testing positve in 3 months.Please Help again. ( why is it that the doctors stand by the IgM test and why if it so inaccurate do they still use it for herpes because it really is causing alot of stress)......

Please help me because i am so confused I know you said that never go by the IgM results and I am holding on to that. But can you please let me know is there still a possibilty that i can test negative when I go back or is it indefinate that I have HSV1 or HSV2 please HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

there is nothing else to do at this point but to continue follow up with your provider for any continuing symptoms you have genitally. follow up with the repeat igg blood test in april if you feel the need for it.

I know that I keep worrying myself. My question is I have a bump down there i don't know if it is a hair bump or what i have had hair bumps in the past but since i was told i had a early infection from my IgM could this be my first outbreak or am i just worrying for nothing.

What do you want to hear from us? Grace has told you over and over to disregard the IgM test. Read the testing part of the herpes handbook, read through the expert forums here, read the herpes section on www.ashastd.org and all of them will say that the IgM is not to be used as a diagnostic tool on adults. The CDC doesn't even mention IgM testing for herpes in their info.

If you have a bump you are concerned about, then get it checked, but I do think you need a new doctor, since this one seems stuck on the IgM.

If it helps, my IgM was negative when it should have been positive, and positive when it should have been negative. Its not a reliable test. Just act like you didn't have it.

I am hearing anxiety from you. If this is normal for you, you don't have to live this way. Talk to your doctor about help for it.

Condoms are not 100% protection against transmission of genital herpes.

Yes the number of partners increases your risk of having a std but you don't have to be a "playa" in order to have a std.

Most times the igm is falsely positive which is why it's a bad test and should've never been drawn on you in the first place.

At this point there is nothing to do but to wait and repeat your igg at the proper time. Statistically you are negative for hsv2 but since you tested once, now you have to wait and repeat your testing again to be sure of your status.

I have one more question when you have a herpes outbreak do you get it where you have sex at the reason why iask this question is because i have this scar at the top of my butt in the crack of it. It was itching yesterday and only yestersday i don't know why then i felt it today it was sore so i looked and it was like a scratch there. I have never had anal sex before so could the sores be anal sores if i have never had anal sex before? I don't know if im overreacting or not but i am scared to death. please help me i really appeciate you taking the time to answer my questions its only tender when i touch it i also have anal itching but i think that is from hemmroids.

I think at this point you are just overly fixated on everything below the waist in general. Scars do itch from time to time. If you aren't sure if you have hemorrhoids, see your provider for further evaluation of your symptoms.

Hi, Grace, about 3 years ago,I thought I contracted herpes because my igm was at .95. I have taken 4 igg test. My last one was 2 years after possible exposure. All of them have been negative. The thing is that because I was equivocal, on the igm, I just can't get it out of my head that I could be infected with the virus. Another thing I read about is that igg is only 98 percent accurate. Could I be in the 2 percent range? Please advice.

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